The present invention relates generally to post cards and direct mail advertising, and more specifically to an integral multiple use message unit package.
A post card has always been, and continues to be, the most cost effective means of communication used in the Postal Service. With the escalation of postal charges over the past decade, cost becomes a factor in the communication link between individuals, family members, and friends and between businesses and prospective customers. The cost of the postage is not the only factor. The cost of purchasing a post card has escalated greatly, and if one is required to purchase a new post card for each communication, then the overall cost may be considerable. Furthermore, the psychological impediment of having to run a special errand to locate an appropriate post card for each communication tends to put it in the category of things that never get done. In the area of direct mail advertising, businesses often mail to prospective customers envelopes filled with promotional coupons and/or cards to be returned to the business by the recipient to order or to indicate his level of interest in the goods or services offered, or to request additional information. This material is often bulky, and thus the costs of printing, stuffing the envelopes, and mailing are significant. Moreover, the recipient is often likely to discard the entire package of material rather than look through a large number of loose coupons or promotional material to determine if he has any interest in the goods or services offered.
Additionally, little or no information can be conveyed and made available to the customer until the envelope is opened. Advertisers often seek to reach potential customers by placing removable post cards or removable indicia-bearing envelopes in magazines directed to a certain class of subscribers. Not only is this type of advertising competitive, expensive, and provide an envelope with sketchy information, but it is also not cost effective; the removable cards or envelopes may fall out of the package, or are often ignored by the reader who is likely to be engrossed in what he is reading. In addition, burying the cards or envelopes among the large number of pages in the magazine means that the reader may never even come across them, particularly if he does not read every page of the magazine, and may not appreciate the advertised product or its manufacturer.
The foregoing problems are addressed and solved in the present invention which provides an integral multiple use message unit package having a display surface with a plurality of individual message units removably adhered to the backside thereof, preferably by means of edge gluing along the outer edges thereof. In one embodiment of the invention, the individual message units may be adapted to be filled out with a message and an address, stamped, and mailed. Upon receipt, the top message unit with message can be removed by the recipient, revealing a fresh message unit or plural message units sandwiched therein and allowing the process to be repeated. In another embodiment of the invention, the message unit package (comprising preferably from 2 to 33 individual cards or sheets, printed on both sides) is intended for direct mail advertising; and the individual message units may be post cards having (or other suitable paper or card stock) having advertising material printed on one side and postage and the advertiser's address printed on the other side, with up to 31 other cards containing messages inside the outer two cards. Thus, the recipient of the advertisement may conveniently indicate on the appropriate message unit, reply card, or post card, his level of interest in the goods or services offered and mail it back to the sender. Alternatively, the message unit may contain an indicia-bearing envelope having an advertising message and the advertiser's return address and postage printed thereon. As a result, the overall package (especially employing an edge gluing process) is less expensive than traditional envelope advertising, yet is better quality and more effective.
The prior are of which applicants are aware are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,417,982 G. B. Histed Mar. 25, 1947
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,755 H. Cieslak et al. July 15, 1975
U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,881 A. J. Sabb Mar. 21, 1978
U.S. Pat. No. 2,045,944 G. C. Domke June 30, 1936
U.S. Pat. No. 2,243,974 H. H. Mitchell June 3, 1941
U.S. Pat. No. 2,277,265 L. F. Zahniser Mar. 24, 1942
Austrian Pat. No. 191,725 Heimhilcher September 1957
The patent to Histed discloses a greeting card in which the signature leaf is adapted to be removed to allow subsequent use of the greeting card of another party.
Similarly, Cieslak et al. disclose a multiple use greeting card in which a series of people are allowed to place their names on the card or the like so that the greeting card may be used a number of times.
The Sabb patent discloses a single use post card in which on one face a photograph may be affixed beneath a clear plastic film held to the face of the post card by an adhesive.
The Domke patent discloses a mailable blotter having a backing surface with advertising and, on the opposite side, a removable surface adapted to receive a stamp and mailing address. Removal of the latter surface reveals the blotting surface.
The patent to Mitchell discloses a folder constructed by applying an adhesive along one edge of plurality of sheets comprising the folder.
The Zahniser patent teaches a method of assembling the pages of a book wherein one edge of a plurality of the pages is subjected to thinning to thereby render the pages more strongly bound to one another by a binding material.
The Austrian patent to Heimhilcher discloses a single post card only which may have a subsequent use. The individual post card disclosed in the Heimhilcher patent does not have printed material on both sides and is, therefore, not adapted for plural use direct mail advertising. Moreover, Heimhilcher does not teach either edge binding of the individual post cards to facilitate convenient removal of the desired post card or from the package for subsequent use as a wall picture or decal.
As a result, the prior art does not allow for plural cards to be used (that is, printed) on both sides because the the gluing is not designed for mass production and subsequent similar use; nor does the prior art provide a technique to remove each unit form the glued stacks in production.
The instant invention is readily distinguished from the teachings of Histed and of Cieslak et al. in that it is directed toward a post card rather than a greeting card which must be placed in an envelope requiring first class postage and which is, therefore, more expensive to mail. Furthermore, the subject invention allows for a personalized individual message with each mailing, whereas Histed and Cieslak et al. disclose greeting cards in which the message is fixed. Accordingly, the instant invention provides a more personalized communication vehicle. In addition, the instant invention may be used in direct mail advertising, which is not taught by Histed or Cielslak et al.
The instant invention differs from the post card of Sabb in that Sabb teaches a single use post card adapted to incorporate a photo of the sender's choice while the subject invention is concerned with an integral message unit package with a plurality of removable message units which permits multiple use.
Domke discloses a mailable blotter which is sent through the mail only once, not a number of times, as is the case with the multiple use message unit package of this invention.
Mitchell discloses a method of constructing a folder, and Zahniser teaches a method of constructing a book. Both references are in art areas far removed from the multiple use message unit package of the instant invention. Moreover, Zahniser's technique would damage the post cards upon removal and is not designed to have pages removed.
The multiple use post card of Heimhilcher does not teach either edge binding of the individual cards or indexing of individual cards to facilitate convenient selection and removal of the desired card or cards as is the case with our invention. Moreover, the multiple use post card of Heimhilcher is not suitable to direct mail advertising, which is in contrast to the instant invention.
The invention disclosed and claimed in the instant application is thus readily distinguished over the foregoing art in that it provides an integral multiple use message unit package having a display surface with a plurality of individual message units preferably removably adhered to the edge of the display surface. In one embodiment of the invention, the individual message units may be adapted to be filled out with a message and an address, stamped and mailed. Upon receipt, the top message unit with the message can be removed by the recipient, revealing a fresh message unit and allowing the process to be repeated. In another embodiment of the invention, the message unit package is of direct mail advertising and the individual message units may be one or more post cards having advertising material printed on one side and postage and the advertiser's return address or service printed on the other side and intervening cards with product information. Thus, the recipient of the advertisement may conveniently indicate on the appropriate message unit his level of interest in the goods or services offered and mail a portion of the mailout back to the sender. In this second embodiment, the message unit may alternatively be an indicia-bearing envelope having an advertising message and the advertiser's return address and postage printed thereon possibly along with other cards and information. The recipient may thus enclose, for example, a check, cash or credit card information prior to mailing it back to the advertiser.
In view of the foregoing considerations, there is a strong felt, yet heretofore unfulfilled, need for the integral multiple use message unit package of the instant invention since this system has the cost benefits of post card mailing with the benefits of bulkier envelopes.